An inside look at the Wildcats forwards this upcoming season.
Northwestern’s women’s college basketball season kicks off in less than three weeks as they’ll look rebound from back-to-back 9-21 seasons. As we gear up towards their exhibition matchup against Parkside on November 3rd, here’s a look at three depth forwards that will be instrumental off the bench for the Wildcats this season.
Mercy Ademusayo
Ademusayo has embarked on an extraordinary journey on and off the court, one that started in her hometown of Ode Irele, Nigeria before moving to Pennsylvania, where she played for the Linden Hall School for Girls. In her junior year at Linden, she averaged 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game, earning all-state second-team honors in 2020 and helping lead her team to District championships in 2019 and 2020.
Northwestern recruited Ademusayo because of her size and ferocious blocking, and that has been her strength as a Wildcat. In just her second-ever college game as a freshman, she led the Wildcats with a career-high three blocks, recording one block for every minute played. Her strongest season came as a sophomore, where she finished with 15 blocks over 16 games played, averaging nearly one block per game off the bench. Ademusayo’s best game as a Wildcat occurred on Nov. 16 against Notre Dame where she reached career highs with 13 minutes, six rebounds and eight points while also tying her career high in blocks. She had a quieter 2023-24 season as she was third on the depth chart, but still made her presence known, yet again reaching her career high in points and steals against Notre Dame last November.
Throughout her final season in purple, expect to see Ademusayo as an impact player in shot-blocking, rebounding and paint protection, especially against opponents with length and versatility. She’ll also look to improve on the offensive end as a midrange shooter and scorer in transition, as developing into a two-way player would significantly help her performances and the team overall, As one of the few seniors on the team who’s spent all four years at Northwestern, Ademusayo will be relied on not just for depth and size, but also as a mentor for the promising young players on the ‘Cats squad.
Grace Sullivan
Sullivan is a transfer student from Bucknell University known for her effective scoring and strong rebounding. She grew up in Antioch, Illinois — just an hour north of Evanston, where she attended Carmel Catholic High School. Sullivan shattered school records in career points, rebounds and blocks while earning All-Conference honors her senior year. She lettered all four years and served as team captain, helping lead her team to regional, sectional, super-sectional, and state titles.
Sullivan committed to Bucknell out of high school and instantly made an impact, appearing in 28 games and averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds her freshman season. After missing the start of last season with an injury, she developed into a standout post-player, recording ten double-digit scoring games including a stretch of seven consecutive games. Sullivan also achieved a career-high 28 points and her first career double-double against Loyola Marymount last February. She shot 53% from the field last season and nearly 80% from the free-throw line.
Sullivan will bring speed, versatility, and efficiency to the Wildcats. Head coach Joe McKeown will likely employ her as an instant spark for the ‘Cats’ offense, providing efficient shotmaking and yet another weapon from midrange. The ‘Cats will rely on her ability to draw fouls as well, knowing she’s a knockdown free throw shooter. Sullivan’s ability to run the floor and challenge players on both ends will also prove beneficial to the ‘Cats defensively.
Taylor Williams
Williams is a graduate student who chose to extend her Big Ten career with Northwestern. She previously played for Western Michigan University for three years, where she was a standout player and key contributor to their squad, before transferring to Michigan for her senior season.
In her first year at WMU, Williams led the team with 9.7 rebounds per game, ranking fourth in the conference. She also tied the school record with 21 rebounds in a single game and reached double-digit scoring in 15 of 21 games. Throughout her next two seasons, she started 53 of 56 games for the Broncos, leading the team in rebounds both seasons and points with 14.7 per game in her final season. She also became the only player in the Mid-American Conference to have six blocks in one game. In her final game with Western Michigan, she joined its 1000-point club. Willams transferred to the University of Michigan in her final season where she appeared in 24 games, making six starts and recording four double-digit scoring performances.
Williams is known for her ability to play multiple positions with an impressive combination of height and athleticism, making her a valuable player on Northwestern’s depth chart. The ‘Cats expect Williams to continue her reliability as a two-way player, as they will depend on her sharpshooting, dominant rebounding and aggressive shot-blocking to win games. Williams also brings a wealth of experience to the Wildcats, having played for two different schools and gaining familiarity with Big Ten competition during her year at Michigan. Although this is her first year with the ‘Cats, she’s proven before she can adjust quickly and settle in nicely on new teams, and should have no issue fitting seamlessly into Northwestern’s new-look rotation this season.